Chapter 121: Investigation

Cecilia

Max's hands were on Alice immediately, his earlier coldness evaporating as he turned her gently to examine her shoulder where Rex's hand had connected. "Let me see. Does it hurt when I—"

"I'm fine," Alice said, but her voice was shaky, and I could see her trying not to wince as Max's fingers probed carefully at her shoulder.

"You're not fine." Max's voice was tight with barely leashed anger. "That bastard hit you hard enough to—" He stopped, his jaw clenching. "We're getting you checked out. Now."

She nodded, and Max immediately swept her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest like she weighed nothing.

They disappeared through the glass doors, and I was left standing there with Daniel still on the ground behind me—blood streaming from his nose and split lip—Rex sprawled where Max had left him with blood pouring from his own nose, and his wolf standing guard over him. A growing crowd of gala attendees had been drawn by the commotion.

That's when Carter appeared again, moving through the crowd with that particular brand of calm authority that suggested he'd dealt with situations like this before.

"Alright, everyone back inside," he said, his voice carrying easily across the pool deck. "Show's over. Please, return to the gala."

The crowd began to disperse reluctantly, people casting curious glances back at us as they filed through the doors. Carter waited until most of them were gone before turning his attention to the scene before him.

His eyes moved from Rex on the ground to Daniel, who was trying unsuccessfully to stand, to me standing between them with my dress slightly disheveled and my heart still racing.

"Someone wanna tell me what happened?" Carter asked, his tone deceptively mild.

"He was taking photos," Rex said from the ground, gesturing at Daniel with his bloody hand. "Without permission. Of people by the pool."

Carter's expression shifted slightly, his eyes moving to Daniel with new assessment. "That true?"

Daniel's face went red. "I—I was just—it was for my investigation—"

"Investigation?" Carter's eyebrows rose. "What investigation?"

"I've been working on some cold cases," Daniel said, trying to sound professional despite the blood streaming from his nose.

"So you were taking creep shots at a charity gala," Rex interrupted flatly. "Real professional."

"I wasn't—I didn't mean—" Daniel looked desperately at me.

But before I could respond, footsteps echoed across the pool deck, and I felt my whole body tense as I recognized the measured pace, the simmering violence in every step.

Arthur.

He emerged from the building with an expression that made everyone within a ten-foot radius take an instinctive step back. His eyes swept the scene—Rex on the ground with blood streaming from his nose and his wolf beside him, Daniel bleeding from his face, me standing there with my dress slightly torn at the shoulder from when I'd grabbed Rex's arm.

"What," Arthur said, his voice deadly quiet, "the fuck happened here?"

Rex actually looked nervous. His wolf pressed closer to him, sensing his owner's unease, but Rex pushed himself to his feet anyway, swaying slightly as he faced Arthur, blood still dripping from his nose.

Rex straightened his shoulders, trying to project confidence despite the blood. "I punched the creep snapping photos. She was throwing herself between me and that creep, acting like she'd do anything to protect him. What was I supposed to think?"

I felt heat flood my face—not embarrassment, but pure rage at the implication. After everything that had happened tonight, after defending Daniel from getting beaten to death, Rex had the nerve to suggest I was doing it for romantic reasons?

Rex muttered under his breath, "Maybe she's fallen for someone else."

Arthur went very still. When he spoke, his voice was still in that terrifyingly calm register that somehow made it worse. "Cecilia is a decent human being who doesn't wanna watch someone get beaten to death at a charity gala. You were supposed to give her the benefit of the doubt instead of insulting her character."

He took a step closer to Rex, and I could see the muscles in his jaw working. "But instead, you chose to imply that my fiancée—the woman I love more than anything in this world—was cheating on me. With my cousin. At a public event."

Rex's confidence faltered. "I didn't mean—"

"Doesn't matter what you meant," Arthur interrupted, his voice finally rising with raw intensity bleeding through. "That's what you said."

Rex opened his mouth, closed it again. His wolf whined softly, pressing closer to him.

"Good." Arthur turned away from him, dismissing him entirely, and moved to where Daniel was still trying to get his bearings, blood smeared across his face. "As for you—"

"Mr. Winston, please, I can explain—" Daniel started.

"You can explain to security why you were taking unauthorized photographs of gala attendees," Arthur said coldly. "And then you can explain to your father why you're no longer welcome at any Winston family events."

Daniel's face went white. "You can't—my father—"

"Will understand completely when I tell him what you did." Arthur pulled out his phone. "Carter, can you call security? Have them escort Mr. Brahmore out."

"Already on it," Carter said, his own phone already to his ear.

Two security guards appeared within minutes, and Daniel was led away, still bleeding. I watched him go with a strange mixture of relief and unease. Something about the way he'd been looking at me earlier made me think there was more to his "investigation" than just random photography.

The moment Daniel was gone, Arthur turned to me, his expression shifting immediately from icy wrath to gentle concern.

"Come here," he said softly, opening his arms.

I went to him without hesitation, letting him pull me against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my cheek. His arms wrapped around me, solid and warm and safe, and I felt some of the adrenaline finally start to drain away.

Carter cleared his throat delicately from a few feet away.

"Not to interrupt this touching moment," he said, "but Rex is still here. And I think we need to have a conversation about what happens next."

Arthur's expression hardened again as he turned to face Rex, who was still standing by the pool with his wolf, looking significantly less confident than he had earlier, blood drying on his upper lip.

"You're gonna apologize," Arthur said flatly. "To Cecilia."

Rex's jaw clenched. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'll beat you to a pulp," Arthur said, and the casual way he said it made it clear he absolutely meant it.

Rex looked between Arthur and Carter, clearly weighing his options. His wolf whined again, sensing his master's agitation.

"Fine," Rex said finally, the word coming out bitter and resentful. He turned to me, and I could see him struggling to force out the words. "I'm sorry. For what I said. It was outta line."

It was possibly the least sincere apology I'd ever heard, but I was too exhausted to care. "Whatever," I said flatly, and turned away.

I didn't have the energy for this—for Rex's half-assed apology, for the whole mess of tonight. All I wanted was to go home and forget any of this had happened.

The tension on the pool deck finally started to ease, people beginning to move and breathe again after the confrontation.

That's when Max and Alice reappeared through the glass doors.

Alice's shoulder was wrapped in what looked like an improvised ice pack made from a cocktail napkin and some ice from the bar, and Max was hovering over her like she might collapse at any moment.

The moment Rex saw Max, his whole posture changed.